A/N: Ok guys, a lot of heavy topics in this chapter, I warn you. I know you guys have waited for this, and im sorry for the delay, but again just know its a heavy emotion chapter ahead.

"Snow, Granny, come in." Regina said as she closed the door letting both woman in.

"You want to tell me why the Princess here wants me up here with you? I don't exactly feel like dealing with both your bickering's." Granny asked rather annoyed.

"You're here because Snow wants the truth, and I'm not going to be looked as a liar when she gets the answers she's not ready for." Regina replied.

Snow for her part just walked over the Regina's balcony, not muttering a word, still trying to find out just exactly how to go about this. Ever since that day with Regina in the library, her life had been flipped upside down, and she didn't know what to make sense of anymore. That image of Regina and her father late one night so many years ago, could it have really been true. Had she been blind to her step-mother's suffering? Was her father actually capable of doing such horrors? It was all of these questions that rattled through her mind since her last confrontation with Regina that haunted her, all the images that made little sense before are turning into nightmares, and she needed to know.

Both Granny and Regina shared a look of mutual understanding, both realizing that this would not be the easiest thing for anyone in the room. Walking over to her vanity Regina sat down, as Granny sat on the end of her bed, as she took a deep breath before snapping Snow out of her reverie.

"Snow, I don't have all night to do this, so let's just get this over with."

Slowly turning around Regina could see the wheels turning in Snow's head, trying to make heads or tails out of this situation, after a moment, she spoke.

"I just don't know what to think any more. Everyday I have these images in my head and I just don't know what to make of them. Of you, of him, I just- I don't know what to do." Snow said as she wrapped her hands around her middle and began pacing the room.

"What do you want to know Snow?" Regina asked calmly as she still sat in her vanity.

"I thought you were happy here. I thought you both were happy. I remember climbing into this very bed every night, and you read to me, you brushed my hair, you taught me love, and you became a mother to me. When I got older and things changed, before he died, I'd seen the marks on you, but you both would just brush it off as if nothing had happened."

"I was a lot of things Snow, but I can assure you, happy was not one of them." Regina interrupted Snow's speech, but it seemed it didn't register for the troubled girl continued.

"But I can't get your look out of my head that night when you sent me away to the Summer Palace. I was so happy, but your eyes, they're all I can see now. The fear and panic laced into them, like sending me away would be your undoing, and I didn't say anything, I just left, I hugged you and kissed your cheek." Snow said as her hand had traced her own cheek thinking of that day, tears brimming her eyes, and then turned to walk towards Regina.

"I was gone one week. I saw you only days later, the night of my birthday ball, but it's like you weren't even there. Your body what there, but your eyes, they were so haunting. You locked yourself in your chambers afterwards, and he didn't want me to see you… What did he do to you?" Snow asked hesitantly through her tears.

/

Regina had listened to the words coming out of Snow's mouth, watching her movements like a hawk, taking in her trembling lips, the same stutter in her voice she had as a child, a habit she berated her with time and time again. Each word that came out of her was just another memory, one she wished would remain buried deeper than that monster was, but this time around she knew she could handle it better than to have been ambushed like Snow had done.

"There's a reason Snow, why I had you leave in the middle of the night, a reason why you left with only your horse, and two guards." Regina finally spoke, tearing her gaze from Snows to the moon as she stood up and walked to the balcony.

"You see your Father would not allow you to leave, it was just before your 18th birthday and it was to be the week you were to start meeting the future King from our neighboring kingdom. His father was barely breathing, but alive none the less. Prince Robert, his family was rich, and promised trade and wealth to the Enchanted Forest. He was 58 years old. You say I changed when you came back Snow? That I locked myself away? No, dear, your freedom I paid at my expense. " Regina said, her back still turned to them.

"I may have hated you with every ounce of my being Snow," Regina declared, and she turned to face her, her back leaning against the railing, "but what I went through, I wouldn't even wish it upon my worst enemy Snow."

"What did he do to you Regina?" Snow asked.

"Don't ask questions you're not ready to hear Girl. " Granny said.

"You grew up kissing the ground your father walked on, you had always been Daddy's Little Girl, and while the man may have loved you, he was a horrible and repulsive man. What he did to her, and what he let others do to her, is something you have no right to ask her to relive." Granny declared.

"Let her ask her questions Granny, but know this Snow, this will be the last time we ever speak of this. After today, this will no longer, or ever will be a topic of conversation. Understood." Regina said.

After a second, Snow nodded, and Granny shook her head, but Regina was ready to get this over with. "Ask what you came in here for Snow, and let's get this over with."

Gathering her thoughts once more, Snow nodded and asked, "That night, when you both were in the hall, you were on the ground, begging him not to touch you. Why?"

Closing her eyes, and replaying the scene in her head, Regina turned back to face the stars.

"He'd found my diary that night. It hadn't been enough for him coming into my room and inviting himself into my bed, after he was done with me he notice my diary that had been on the night stand. He read everything I had written in there. Everything I had felt towards him, and you. I had scrambled away from the bed, had just fastened my robe when he turned me around and hit me. I knew it would only get worse from there on out, but I hadn't exactly recovered from the last…. Incident. So I pushed him off and ran out of the room."

"Oh god." Snow whispered. Her heart breaking by the second.

"It was the one night I was actually grateful for your existence. He would have killed me that night had he done what he'd done in the past. I was weak as it was already."

"Wait, what incident are you talking about."

"Regina," Granny cut in, her spine straightening the moment she figure out what particular incident she was referring to. One she hasn't exactly been able to get off her mind since it happened.

"Don't. That's enough, you don't have to do this." She asked Regina.

Regina turned then and looked into the concerning eyes of the old woman, the only one who knew of the couple of incidents that had happened to her, this one being the worst of them. As painful as it was, there had always been a part of her that begged to get it off her chest, so with that in mind she walked over to the bed and sat down next her. Grabbing her hands as she turned again to face a stunned Snow.

"I was pregnant before you left." Regina said quietly, as Snow's eyes all but dropped out of her head, as her hand flew to her mouth to muffle the gasp that passed her lips.

"Your father didn't know, I knew he would have done something had I told him when I found out. Had done something about it two times prior. But that one, I managed to hide, hoping that if I was far enough into it he would let me keep it. Two days after you were gone one of the maids must have told him. He stormed into my room one evening with and took care of his problem. 'You will not taint my throne with your blood, this kingdom belongs to Snow' he'd said. The day of your ball Granny helped me bury a little blue box under my apple tree." Regina whispered, failing to keep her own tears at bay. She'd thought about him every day of her life, half the reason she'd asked to adopt a boy when she went to the agency.

As for Snow she remained glued to her spot, shocked and stunned she could barely breathe.

"Snow, you have looked up to your Father like he was some immaculate human being. You had always been too naive for your own good, but that man was anything but a saint. Your ignorance to see that, I can't control that, but now you know. Your father took from me the one thing had control of, and on that wedding night he ripped it from me over and over again. Do you know what kind of damage that does to a person Snow? To have someone force themselves in you time and time again, whispering out the name of his late wife? You don't, and you have me to thank for. Walking through these halls, being here, and having this conversation here, now with you, it's brings it all back, and I don't want that anymore. I have been used by so many people, I've always been someone's toy to play with. This castle, my mother, and that imp, it's what gave birth to who I was when I was trying to kill you. I don't want to be that person Snow, I can't be that person. You have your answers now, whether or not they were what you were looking for I don't care. I just know I can't live like this, I can't keep reliving the memories that haunt me every time I walk through these halls. You got your happy ending Snow, but the price I paid for it, cost me everything."

/

She stood there listening to Regina, but she was completely and utterly shocked. She didn't know what to do, what to think. This woman had spent years trying to seek her vengeance, and for the longest time she didn't know why, but now, after this, she's amazed she's still breathing, let alone not trying to kill her. And her Father, god how could he have done this to her.

Staring into Regina eyes, she felt everything come crashing down, she tried to move closer to her, but just before she reached her she fell to her knees as she cried.

"I-I I'm so sorry Regina, please, you have to believe me I didn't know." She cried, reaching out to hold Regina's hand.

She couldn't stop the sobs that rattled her body, she cried for the children her father took away from Regina before they had a chance, cried for the suffering Regina went through, she cried for her.

She didn't know how long she stayed there crying, but she calmed down to just hiccups by the time she felt Regina remove her hand.

She looked up at her then, green eyes looking into brown, but it was Granny who spoke.

"I think that's enough. For the both of you. As for you, let this be the last time you ever come after her for questions. Both of your histories are far more complicated than most, and are tied in ways that neither of you thought were possible." turning to Snow she continued. "I hope you understand that this wasn't easy for her. I know you had your differences, but I've been with her since she came into these castle grounds. I watched what they did to her, and in the end I turned my back on a young girl who desperately needed to be saved. I failed her then, but I won't do it now. I don't know what you were looking to get out of this Snow, but know that this will be the one and only time you put her through this again. Understood." Granny spoke, as she bore her eyes into Snow.

As she nodded her head, she turned back to look at Regina, whose gaze now was transfixed into the night sky.

"I know this will never be enough, but I am truly sorry, for everything my family has done to you. I will never know how you feel, but I owe that to you, because you saved me from that. There was a time where I hated you simply because I thought your rage was selfish, that your intention was the throne and my head on a platter. But I understand now. And I am so sorry Regina. So incredibly sorry for everything you've been through."

With that she stood and left, wrapping her hands around her middle, and her head hanging low as the tears streamed down her face and walked out of the room closing the door behind her. Robin placed a hand around her forearm, asked if everything was okay.

"No, it's not. But I think she'd like to see you now." She replied quietly before going off.

/

By the time he made it inside, Granny sat on the bed, her hands intertwined with Regina's, as the woman who captivated his being sat silently staring out into the night sky. He could tell Granny was speaking softly to her, doing her best to pull her out of her trance state she was in, but it seemed it didn't help much. When he closed her doors, Granny looked up and met his eyes, silent words passing through them. Granny squeezed Regina's hand, dropping a kiss to her hair, and quietly left the room.

He went to her then, but when he stood in front of her she didn't meet his eyes.

"Regina "he tried with no success.

"Regina, talk to me, please what can I do." He questioned as he kneeled in front of her. He moved his hands to touch her face, and play with her hair. The sensation seemed to pull her out a bit, as she moved her head slightly to look at him.

"What can I do?" Robin whispered once more, after a beat she didn't speak, only moved her hand to cup his cheek, and leaned to rest her forehead on his.

"I'm ok." She breathed into the space between them.

"Reg-"

"Robin, I promise I'm ok. That was a conversation that's been waiting to happen for a long time, and it's over now, and I'm exhausted, and I want my son, I want my home, and I want you and Roland, and I want to get the hell away from this land. But I'll never be ok as long as I don't have my son, so please can we just stop talking, and just be here with me. That's all I need right now."

/

He stayed with her the rest of the night, Roland had been brought to her room, and after his eventful day, fell asleep shortly after Regina's soothing hands weaved through his unruly curls. His tiny breaths soothed her thoughts, his father's heartbeat anchoring her, she knew he tried to fight his sleep away, but he'd fallen asleep once the moon was high in the sky. Yet after the day she had sleep eluded her. So after a while of lying in bed, she slowly extricated herself out of the bed, careful not to wake the little boy that had wrapped himself around her, nor the father whose hands hand been around hers, and took a moment to just look at them.

Her child was lost to her, but remained in her heart, the heaviness that weighed it down would probably never loosen its grip around her, but these two people have managed their way into her heart.

Alone with her thoughts she made her way over the railings of her balcony, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath she hadn't known she was holding. After years of buried memories, today it had all been unleashed through an unwanted, yet unavoidable trip down memory lane. She could feel every horrid memory that assaults her like a bag of bricks, but the one that kept running like a movie in her head was the only thing that had given her hope while she was imprisoned in this castle. The little ray of sunshine that had been taken from her, the piece of her heart that lays buried under her apple tree. After all she had gone through, after all that had been taken from her, her little boy was the one thing she could never let go of. The one thing she held close to her heart, something that only two others had known about until tonight.

She didn't lie, when she'd confessed to Snow, that after all the hate she had towards the naive princess, she would have never allowed what happened to her, happen to someone else. Everyone around her made her look out to be a heartless stone cold bitch, who simply enjoyed to kill for the thrill, to be consumed by power, someone who lived to instill fear into others. What they never took into account, was how she got there.

You see behind all who are thought to be evil, lies a trail of deception, anger, loss, and tragedy. The Evil Queen was no different, just nobody took the time of day to question why the Child Queen had been replaced by the Evil Queen moniker.

After years of trying to kill the girl who had been responsible for taking away her love, no one knew how much she had actually sacrificed to protect her least of all that it was from her own flesh and blood. But now, none of that mattered, now Snow knew the truth, and while she may have never accepted the naive princess as her child, there would always be a part of her that would try to protect her from the truth. A truth that's now in the open, a princess whose life has been turned upside down, and a trip down memory lane leaving herself feel void.

She's startled when she felt hands touch her hips, couldn't help but jump at the contact, turning around in record speed, eyes blown wide, and a hand to her chest, closing her eyes and calming her beating heart when she saw Robin standing next to her.

"I'm sorry, I didn't mean to scare you. I'm so sorry Milady." Robin spoke as he began to step away from her. Cursing himself internally for startling her after the day she had.

"It's ok, it's just been a long day." She whispered softly as she evened herself out.

"May I?" He questioned as he took a hesitant step towards her again, and with her nod, he brought her into his arms.

There wasn't much he could do for her, the demons in her head would be at an all-time high after her talk with Snow, something he seemed to sense, although he appreciated the fact that she all but melted into his arms.

"I know there's not much I can say right now, but just know that I'm here, and nothing is going to hurt you like he did. I won't allow it, and if you'll let me, I'll help you fight those battles in your head. As long as you'll let me, you won't be alone anymore Regina."

/

She knew it would be a difficult task to accomplish. After all she had been alone for most of her life, Henry had been the only one she dared to love, but she knew her feelings for Robin would only grow stronger. He was just as stubborn as her, and without a doubt would not be letting her go, and she relished in that feeling. Of being cared for, and loved, of being safe in the arms of another. The world was against her, throwing her boulder after boulder, and her Sister would surely not be the last, but the only thing she knew was that she wanted him there with her.

So when he led them back in bed, understanding her predicament, she didn't argue, just snuggled into his side and stayed there.

Sleep wouldn't come, she knew that, but his beating heart was enough to calm her nerves, and after who knows how long, she propped herself up to see his eyes on hers.

"You know, I told my son once that I didn't know how to love very well, and I still believe that. I do, because I'm so scared of losing the ones I love, that I just hold on and don't know when to let go. I don't want to lose you Robin, or Roland. I lost Henry, and that's something I'll never be over. Not when my heart is with him in another world. Love, it terrifies me Robin. Completely and utterly terrorizes me, because I've lost the ones I've loved the most. But yet, there's a part of me that refuses to stop, because as much as I try to stop it, I do care for you, and it scares me even more that I can love you. I don't want to lose you too."

"Regina, I won't take anything from you that you aren't willing to give freely. I understand your hesitance, hell I would be too. And to if we're being honest, I'm scared too. After Marian, well I just didn't think that I'd have anything like you in my life again. I'm not willing to leave your side Regina, I care far too much too lose you. This will be a leap of faith for us, I can only ask for you to take it with me." Robin replied, after taking a moment to process her words. He could see the fear written in her face, and he felt his heart throb in his chest.

"....okay." She whispered tearfully as she closed her eyes and sealed their lips as their tears ran down their face.

Tomorrow would be another day, tomorrow she needed to focus on dealing with her sister, but for now, she turned in the arms of the man who loved her, gathered his son in her arms, as Robin placed his arms around the two things he cared for most in the world.

/

Had it been weeks ago, she would have bolted from the bed at what she saw on his arm. How she had missed it before, she could not tell you, but that night, the only thing that granted her sleep was knowing that the man with the lion tattoo was right here with her. She wasn't running away, she wasn't leaving them, she wasn't even surprised. Out of all the people in her life, aside from Henry, Robin had been the only one to see her for who she was.

So when she started to cry, she didn't cry for the life she relived today, she cried because for the first time in a long time, she wasn't willing to run away from him, from what the lion meant to her.

She only tightened her hold on his son, the little boy who had become her savior along with his father, and she kissed the top of his curly hair.

She was safe, and sound in the arms of her soulmate.

Please let me know what you think.

I'm not sure if i want to get into Storybrook, or keep it in the Enchanted Forest, id love to know what you guys would like to read.